The New Me

A/N: Everybody’s been asking for them. So to support all my wonderful reviewers, from here on out I’m making longer chapters! It’s also more accommodating to college life. And having longer chapters won’t stop me from updating two at a time. I know this one isn’t that much longer, and 18’s only two pages longer than what I usually write, but I’m trying. Really. Anyway enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the characters. Nor do I make any money off of them. The characters are property of their respective creators/companies.
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Touya was assigned with the wonderful task of waking his baby brother. Other wise Riku would sleep ‘til time stopped.

“Stupid, Riku. Sleeping your summer away…” Touya hadn’t even had time to dry off. He had just taken a shower and his father grabbed him on his way out. He hated his hair wet, it always got all curly. “I don’t see why dad couldn’t get you up.” Touya walked into Riku’s room.

Originally the room had belonged to both of them, it was huge, even had its own bathroom. There was a hbig walk in closet and indentation in the wall where the bed was. There was a desk with a computer on it, a large bookshelf, two other desk, and lots of space. The room didn’t need a lot of stuff since it was short one boy. The walls were covered with posters and there were three windows, all closed up preventing the light from getting in.

Touya walked up to Riku’s bed and flipped the covers back; the sleeping boy instantly pulled into a ball. “Come on, get up,” Riku pulled his pillow over his head. “Don’t make me open the windows.” His only response was a grumble.

“Fine,” Touya walked around the room and opened the three windows. Riku’s room sat in a corner of the house, so he had two windows to the back yard, and one to the side. Even with the eight thirty morning sun coming in, Riku still didn’t move. “For crying out loud! What are you dreaming about so that you need to stay in bed?”

Touya sat on the side of Riku’s bed and began poking him religiously. “Come on. Up. Up. Up. Up…” Riku still didn’t move. Touya sighed, “Fine, you’ve forced my hand.” He stood up and headed for the door. Riku slightly lifted the pillow to watch him go. Once to the door Touya started screaming.

“Mom! Your second son is up here moaning in his sleep about some girl! I can’t fin his right-” Riku threw his alarm clock at Touya, who it missed and shattered against the wall.

“Lord boy! Kill me why don’t cha’?”

“Mom! Don’t listen to Touya!” Riku called out form his bed.

“Ma, Riku tried to kill me with a land to air alarm!”

“Mom-”

“SHUT UP ALREADY!”

Riku and Touya sat in silence for a moment before breaking out into fits of laughter. They could always get out of trouble if they just kept passing the blame around.


Breakfast was the same as usual for the summer. Riku and Touya ate alone; their dad was at work, and their mother worked the night shift, so she was out cold by now.

“So,” Touya attacked his eggs with pepper, “What are ya’ gonna do today?”

Riku shook his head, “I think I’ll check up in Kairi. It’s only right.”

“Thought she wasn’t talking to you,” he shoved a fork load of eggs into his mouth.

“She’s not. But I should still try.”

“Bah. If it were me, I’d hit next door.”

“Well I’m not you.” Riku got up from the table and dumped his plate in the sink. He nodded to his brother and walked out of the kitchen.


Sora planed to stay indoors today. He was a little tired of playing a girl, and felt the need to lounge around in his boxers, socks, and a T-shirt. It was about ten o’clock when he had to get up from the couch to answer the door.

“God-freakin’-damn…” he muttered, although mentally he reminded himself not to curse.

Riku had tried to get Kairi on the phone, it took four tries. But once he had her, she insisted she was too sick to hang out or even talk on the phone. ‘Well, I fucked that up good.’ So since he couldn’t get Kairi he figured he’d see if Sora was still talking to him.

Sora looked out the window first, and was not surprised, but a little unhappy to see Riku. He banged on the window to get his attention.

“Why are you there?” Riku asked kneeling in front of the window, “Why not open the door?”

“Sick.” Sora said the first thing that came to mind.

“Like hell you are! Open up!”

“Excuse you! How do you know if I’m sick or not?”

“I already heard that excuse today. Come on, Sora, why are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad, I just don’t want to come outside. I’m sick.” Sora jumped back as Riku banged his hand on the glass.

“Open the door!” Riku hit the glass again.

“Oh, yea, because I’m gonna open up for a psycho!” Sora walked away and sat on the couch.

“I’ll be less angry when you open the door…Sora!” Riku started banging on the door. ‘God, not again.’ Riku rolled his eyes and walked away. “Fuck this, I’m going to the arcade. Damn girls…”

Sora shook his head and shrugged, “That kid is so difficult. I guess I could have gone, but I feel more like being me today than an imposter…”


“And then she walked away!” Riku violently slammed his hands on a button on the machine he was playing at.

Wakka shook his head, “Quit talking about the girls, ya. You’re sucking at this game,” and with that, Wakka’s fighter blew Riku’s away for the fifth time.

“It’s not my fault. I’m just really pissed.”

The arcade was full of kids today, mostly tourist. The arcade was huge, it an lower area for pool tables, an upper level for bowling, and on the ground floor, the game room and a place to order food, pool balls, and bowling shoes. Normally, this place was big enough for the island kids to hang out and there still be plenty of room for someone to do something. However, during the summer, the place filled up with preteens and teenagers not interested in spending the day at the beach.

Selphie and Tidus were in line for the DDR machine, while Riku and Wakka battled it out on a Marvel versus Capcom machine.

“I mean,” Riku scrolled through the characters, “It’s not like I’m trying to make them angry.”

“Yea, but the point is that they are.”

“Hey!” The two turned around the see a thirteen year-old and a twelve year-old behind them. “You two gonna play on that all day!”

Riku snarled at the kids, “LOOK! I live here I’ll play it for as long as I damn well please!”

The little kids grabbed Riku’s elbows and started pulling and kicking on him screaming ‘Get Off It!’ over and over again.

“Arg! Get off me!” Riku knocked the kids down and promptly punched one in the face. They instantly started to scream and cry.

“Oh that’s great anger management, Riku.” Wakka grabbed Riku and went running through the arcade. “Selphie! Tidus! Come on!!”

Selphie stomped her feet as she stepped up to the machine, “But we’re up next!”

“Yea,” Tidus was already putting his quarters in.

“I don’t care! Come on!” Selphie rolled her eyes and got off the DDR pad, and Tidus followed. Outside the arcade the group kept running until they rounded the corner out of sight.

“I swear, Riku, you’ve got to not hit people like that.”

“He hit someone!” Selphie was surprised.

“Ya, a kid. Look, just because you’re angry at the girls doesn’t mean you take it out on other people.” Wakka ran his hands across his forehead.

“Great, Riku, great. Now we won’t be allowed in there all summer.” Selphie grumbled, but thought to herself, ‘I’m sure Kairi will be happy to know hoe upset Riku is.’

“Yea, well, we don’t need the arcade anyway! Come let’s catch the next ferry and go see a movie.”

“Nah,” Tidus shook his head, “I’m kind of hungry, let’s get lunch instead.” Wakka agreed, but they all decided to eat at Riku’s house, rather than risk walking around and getting caught by some angry kid’s parents.


At Riku’s house, the gang snaked on sandwiches, chips and coke. Touya was out somewhere, much to Riku’s pleasure. However the absence of his brother didn’t stop Wakka from talking about his.

“So, he brought his girl friends home for the summer. And they get MY room. I’m in the guest room can you believe that?” He took a bite of his sandwich.

“Is she cute?” Tidus asked.

“Oh yea, she’s hot. Girls got boobs the size of watermelons.”

“I think that would kill her, Wakka,” Selphie said a little doubting.

“Well, the point is they’re big. I think she’s a Goth, which is kind of an odd girl for Chappu if you ask me.”

“What makes you think she’s a goth-kid?” Riku picked over his remaining chips.

“She wears nothing but black, has an excess of belts, leather, she just has the vibe. The only thing that doesn’t fit are all the stupid stuffed animals she has.”

“I like stuffed animals! What kind has she got?”

“I don’t know. I was too busy checking her out to care.”

‘Just like a guy,’ Selphie murmured.

“Anyway, I think she likes me more. She spent all last night playing with my hair, talking about how cute I was.”

Selphie laughed, “Yea, cuz’ your brother’s college girl friend is gonna leave him, for you. Have you looked at Chappu lately?” She took a sip of her coke, “I wouldn’t leave that unless a male supermodel came to my door.”

“Ya, well, your taste suck, Selphie.”

“Do not, you’re just delusional.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yea-uh!”

“Stop it! There will be no three year-old arguments here.” Riku picked up his empty plate and walked over to the sink. “You guys are so immature sometimes I swear.”

“This coming from the guy who punched a twelve year-old?” Tidus shook his head, “Even we aren’t that immature.”

“Yea, we solve our troubles with words,” Selphie nodded, “You know not like cave men.”

‘Well I think the cave men had somethings right,’ Riku muttered under his breath.

Soon after their meal, the gang disbursed. Riku considered going over to see Sora again, be decided to hold up in his room instead. “I’ll never know what’s wrong with women. You try, and try, and try…” he flopped down on his bed, “And they just push you away.”

He threw his fist up in the air in a rallying motion, “Well tomorrow, Sora’s spending the day with me whether she wants to or not!”

While Riku was contemplating how he was going to convince Sora to spend the day with him, Selphie got to work on her first favor to Kairi. She took a detour, careful to make Wakka and Tidus believe she was on her way home. She came up to Kairi’s house, and walked around to the back, her skates making a clunking sound in the dirt.

She knocked three times on the back door before Kairi answered.

“Selphie!”

“Uh, you look happy. But I’ll have you know sneaking around in skates hurts your feet!”

“Sorry about that,” Kairi stepped outside. “So, how did today go?”

Selphie shrugged, “Sora didn’t hang out with us either. She claimed she was sick.”

“Ha!” Kairi banged her fist into her open palm, “I knew it! Let me guess, Riku was mad we both ditched?”

“Um, yea…Knew what?”

“She’s playing hard to get. Tomorrow she’ll hang out with you, but be really resentful, watch her.” Selphie just nodded. “Ha! Lying little tramp, I know your game!” Kairi closed her eyes and started thinking. Selphie made a confused face and stared at her.

“You ok?”

“Yea I’m fine,” Kairi looked back at Selphie. “Keep watching her. When we get enough evidence, I’ll tell her to back off and tell Riku the truth.”

“Then Sora will have to find a new boy friend, right?”

Kairi blinked, “Right!” She waved to Selphie and went inside. “Uh, I was thinking more along the lines of ruining her social life, but I guess I can leave that for school gossip.”